Garage Model Copyright Work-arounds?

[identityno]

I understand that copyright owners (like Harmony Gold, for instance) have advanced legal teams and a real hankering to snuff out independent modelers trying to make limited-run custom models from certain anime shows.

Is there any way around this? I was considering making very low-run productions of either kits or finished toy/models from Macross, but I don't want to invest the time and money and then be threatened by some money-grubbing bastards who enjoy threatening legal action for perceived copyright infringements. One possible solution I considered was to make replicas of certain designs and then rename them as something else. Instead of "Valkyrie" you'd be purchasing a custom-made "Sci-fi Model." Think of Hong Kong bootleg naming schemes. Of course, the designs of the mecha are copyrighted, as well, but I am thinking that they are copyrighted in Japan, and that Harmony might not have actual design patents here, just names, concept, and so forth. But that is a distant hope, and probably not the case.

So I may have to go undercover. I'll start another level of the modeling underground. I think one should be able to make a little money producing low-numbered replicas of certain sci-fi mecha. It isn't theft— no one gets rich, and the money made is purely to cover the loads of time & skill that will be put into the reproduction. I'm fine with that on moral grounds, how about ya'll?

Anyway, I'm just looking into it. Maybe it will never happen, and I'll just keep my kits to myself.

Cheers,

Gregory Scott

[Grayson72]

Hey we do it all the time here, Atmospheric booster, Spider bug, etc... Harmony Gold can go shove it.

What did you have in mind for creation?

[Fugly]

Hmmm....that seems to make sense. Then again, since you would be a "small company" you probably would just slide under there radar. My guess is that you'd get off scot free...as long as you aren't a big company (yamato, toynami, etc etc) you should be fine. \

Whatcha planning to make, though?

[identityno]

Well, I am pleased to know that it is possible to avoid being sued. I had memories of some debacle involving John Moscato's project and some Harmony Gold entanglement, but that, I've recently been reminded (because I read about it long ago and found the truth, then forgot) was crap.

So it's on.

As far as what I am building, all I can say is that you will have to wait a long, long time to find out. And so will I. But this post is one of the first steps. I predict that I will try to do some kit-building jobs and maybe custom toy paint jobs for a while. I have a workflow in order for design and production— I'll be designing it using Vectorworks and FormZ (unless Alias releases Studiotools on OS X sometime soon, which isn't likely), then I'll start sculpting the originals, then doing the molds, and so on. I assume that, with the level of detail I would prefer to establish, the design of the kit will take a long time. My plan right now is to produce a kit of a Valkyrie; I hate to be boring, but that mecha was my very first anime robot experience, and the design still reaches me more than some of the designs that proceeded it. The thought of making a Destroid is appealing, as well. But the work involved is substantial, and I will need to start making a little bit of money modeling first to cover the cost of a longer-term project.

All the above is why I say to you that you should probably forget that I ever mentioned any of this, because you won't hear back about it again for quite some time. My talk is useless until I have something to offer the other Macross fans out there.

Thank you for the replies.

Cheers,

Gregory Scott

[Ghadrack]

Just a quick thought on sales and revenue streams...

If you make a resin kit of a VF-1 unless it is something extremely rare or original you might have trouble unloading them due to oversaturation. However, as there is a pretty large group of model builders and toy collectors here that have been salivating at the idea of 1/72, 1/60, 1/55 and 1/48 scale destroids and enemy mecha, it might be something to think about.

[identityno]

That is true— I would agree that there is some VF-1 oversaturation, especially since you all have been draining your funds into 1/48 Yamatos for a while now. I would not mind working on other Macross mecha, but I will need to scrounge up some hefty research material on those machines. Any ideas where to look for that? Macross books seem to be getting harder to find, but I admit I haven't started really looking for reference material yet. And working on a Destroid would certainly prove easier because I wouldn't have to bother with the combined hassles of a) engineering a transforming, well-proportioned model, and b) ensuring that the finished model isn't all wavy and unstable.

We'll see when the time comes. Naturally, I have the inclination to try to model everything, starting with a VF-1J or S. But it is going to take some major time to produce what I want and I imagine there will be lots to learn working on such a project. Thus, time will curtail my explorations to only certain designs. I may make a VF-1 just because that's my favorite, and then try to sell recasts of it after the fact to recoupe some costs. I shall mainly be doing this for myself, so that I can both have the pleasure of modeling and also cover the extensive costs of designing and scratchbuilding something as elaborate as what I am considering.

I will know more when it gets closer. I am quite a ways from starting such a project— I have a lot of decisions to make and planning to do yet.

Thanks for the enthusiasm and support. Hopefully I will have something cool to offer reasonably-financed Macross fans next year!

Cheers,

Gregory Scott

Edited February 9, 2005 by identityno

[Ghadrack]

Don't get me wrong, I think anyone with the skill and tenacity to make their own model kits is an impressive individual in my book, I was just mentioning that as a thought on potential sales. If making a VF-1 is your goal do it to it man, if you make something special I think it is pretty safe to say you will find an audience here

A lot fo resource materials are getting harder to find. If you go to the front page of the site and check out the books section that Shawn and Graham have set up you ca find information on many of the different books that are out there. In the sales and dealer section of the message boards there are a few members like Seichi and Blackaces that deal in rare macross books, if you can't find it locally those guys can be a tremendous help in tracking down rare out of print books.

Kevin at Valkyrie-exchange.com had the Macross Design Works book for sale on his site, there may be some good refence pictures there.

Good luck with your project, which ever one you decide on, I am interested to see what you do there are a lot of talented people around here, I feel pretty lucky getting to see their spectacular work for free on this site.